Electric switch



May 15, 1956 R. L. GATES ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1952 Gafas H figs F4 q .l

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R. L. GATES ELECTRIC SWITCH May 15, 1956 2 Sheets-=Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1952 1572 5 2w. ZLET Richard L. Gazes )amv-l fl'rw 9 W United States Patent ELECTRIC SWITCH Richard L. Gates, Eastlake, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 9, 1952, Serial No. 265,600 11 Claims. (Cl. 2001S) This invention relates to an electric switch, and more particularly, to a manually operated actuating mechanism therefor.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel actuating mechanism for manually operating an electric switch.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide an actuating mechanism for accurately positioning a switch selectively in a plurality of preselected angular switching positions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an actuating mechanism for a coaxial switch which may be operated manually and which will automatically interrupt the coaxial circuit while the rotor of the coaxial switch is being moved to a new switching position.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an actuating mechanism including a manually operable shaft which is depressed and rotated to operate the switch, and wherein, means is provided to always maintain the operating shaft in predetermined angular relation with respect to the angular position of a switch rotor to be actuated thereby.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an electric switch actuating mechanism for manually positioning a switch rotor in a number of preselected switching positions, wherein manual operation of the switch automatically disconnects an electric circuit controlled by the switch.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a coaxial switch embodying the novel features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the switch of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IlI-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1V-IV of Figure 2;

FigureS is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View similar to Figure 2, but showing the actuating mechanism in switch operating position; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of an electric circuit controlled by said actuating mechanism for interrupting the coaxial circuit during switch operation.

As shown on the drawings:

The actuating mechanism of the present invention is applied to a coaxial switch by way of example and not by way of limitation. The coaxial switch head assem bly 10 comprises a body or housing 11 having a plurality of branch terminals 12, 13 and 14 which are externally threaded as shown in Figure 2 to receive coaxial lines which are to be selectively connected with a coaxial line on the main terminal 16 by means of a rotor 18 rotative- 1y disposed in the body 11. The internal walls of the terminals comprise the outer conductors for establishment of continuity with the outer conductors of coaxial lines 2,745,917 Patented May 1 5, 1 956 attached to the terminals, and inner conductors 20 and 21 are mounted coaxially within the branch terminals 12, 13 and 14 and within the main terminal 16, respectively, by means of insulating sleeves 23 and 24 and 25 and 26 for establishing continuity with the inner conductors of coaxial lines connected to the terminals. The rotor 18 has an internal passageway, the internal walls of which selectively establish continuity with the internal walls of the terminals 12, 13 and 14. The rotor carries an inner elbow conductor 28 for selectively establishing continuity with the inner conductors 20 of the branch terminals 12, 13 and 14 and for continuous continuity with the inner conductor 21 of the main terminal 16 by means of a spring-urged plunger 30 carried by the inner conductor 21. The inner conductor elbow 28 is insulated from the remainder of the rotor by means of an insulation sleeve 32.

The rotor is thus mounted for selectively connecting the conductors of one of the branch terminals 12, 13 and 14 with the terminal 16 by movement into one of three preselected angular positions spaced 120 apart in the present instance. For selectively positioning the rotor in these preselected switching positions, an actuating mechanism is operatively associated with the shaft 36 of the rotor 18.

The actuating mechanism 35 comprises a cup housing 37 having a closed end 38 and a stepped open end 39. A closure plate 40 includes a central boss 41 extending into the central bore of the switch head 11 and secured therein by means of screws 42. The closure plate 40 telescopes within the stepped open end 39 of the actuating housing 37 and is secured therein by means of bolts 44.

For operating the rotor shaft 36 to selectively position the rotor in one of its preselected switching positions, an inner shaft 47 extends into the housing 37 through tr e closed end 38 thereof. The inner shaft 47 is reciprocally mounted within an outer shaft 48 which, in turn, is rotatably mounted in the end wall 38 of the housing. The outer shaft 48 has a reduced diameter end portion which telescopes over the end of the rotor shaft 36 and is pro vided with a pair of opposed axially extending slots 51 (Figure 5). The inner shaft 47 carries a pin 53 (Figure 5) which extends through the opposed slots 51 for pre venting relative rotation between the inner and outer shafts and for limiting reciprocal movement of the inner shaft 47 within the outer shaft 48.

Reciprocally mounted on the reduced diameter portion of the outer shaft 48 is a lock plate 55 having a pair of holes through which the pin 53 extends to engage the lock plate. The lock plate is thus reciprocable on the outer shaft by means of the inner shaft 47 and is rotatable with the inner and outer shafts.

To rotate the shaft 36, the shaft 47 is depressed into the housing to engage the roll pin 57 of the ratchet wheel 58 with the hole 60 in the lock plate, as shown in Figure 5. The lock plate and ratchet wheel are thus interconnected and the ratchet wheel being fixed to the shaft 36, rotation of the inner shaft 47 is operative to rotate the shaft 36 to position the rotor 18.

For preventing relative rotation of the lock plate 55 relative to the ratchet Wheel 58 when they are disengaged. the lock plate 55 is provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced notches 62, as shown in Figure 4, for engagement with a pin 63 mounted in the housing closed end 38, as shown in Figure 2. When the inner shaft 47 is depressed to free the lock plate 55 from the pin 63, the pin 57 carried by the ratchet wheel 58 has already engaged in the hole 60 of the lock plate so that there is no opportunity for rotation of the inner shaft 47 and the lock plate 55 relative to the ratchet wheel 58. The lock plate 55 and ratchet wheel 58 are maintained in normal disengaged relation by means of a compression spring 65 surrounding the reduced diameter portion of the outer 3 shaft 48 and seated in a recess in the lock plate 55 at one axial end and abutting against the ratchet wheel at the other end.

As shown in Figure 3, the ratchet wheel 53 serves to accurately position the shaft 36 in the preselected switch ing positons in cooperation with a detent mechanism 67. The ratchet wheel is provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced V-shaped notches 69, 'each of which corresponds to one of the preselected switching positions of the rotor 18. The detent mechanism includes a roller 79 carried by an arm '71, the arm 7 being pivot-ally mounted by means of a screw 73 fixed to the closure plate it). The roller 7t is urged against said ratchet wheel by means of a spring 75 connected at the other end to a screw 76 in the closure plate 49. The detent mechanism 67 thus serves to accurately position the shaft 36 in a preselected angular position and to hold the ratchet wheel 53 in the preselected position until the inner shaft 4'7 is again operated. The face plate 78 on the outside of the housing end wall 38 may be provided with suitable indicia to indicate the position of the inner shaft corresponding to the preselected positions of the rotor 18.

in order to open the circuit of the coaxial lines connected to the coaxial switch head 11 during the operation of the inner shaft 47 to select a new switching position of the rotor ii, a miniature switch fill is mounted on the end Wall 33 of the actuating housing and has a plunger 81 controlled by the locking plate 55. When the inner shaft 47 is in its normal inoperative position, the plunger 81 is depressed by the locking plate 55 as shown in Figure 2. When, however, the inner shaft 47 is depressed, the locking plate is moved away from the plunger 31 to close the switch 30. The two leads 33, one of which is shown in Figures 2 and 5, are connected to the terminals 84 of the miniature switch St) at one end and at the other end are connected to terminal bolts 86 which extend through the end of the housing and are connected in lines 87 and 83 (Figure 6) externally of the housing. As shown in Fi ure 6, when the switch Sil is closed, circuit is made from the voltage source 9% through the conductors 87 and 88 to the relay 92. Actuation of the relay 92 opens the coaxial line 93 which is connected to the main terminal 16 of the coaxial switch head. Thus, as the rotor 18 is rotated to the desired switching position, the coaxial lines connected to the switch are held open and undesirable electrical disturbances are not introduced into the coaxial circuit. it will be appreciated that this feature is particularly valuable where more than three branch terminals are to be selectively connected with the main terminal. In such a case, it would be necessary in some instances to establish circuits with intermediate branch terminals before Le desired branch terminal would be reached and were it not for the provision of the switch 30, these intermediate circuits would be established momentarily during the switching operation.

E t will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

A coaxial switch including a rotor, a first shaft connecting with said rotor, a housing enclosing the free end of first shaft, a second shaft extending into said housing axially shiftable therein, a first member carried by said first shaft, a second member carried by said second shaft, means carried by said first and second members for interlocking said first and second members upon axial shift ing of said second member toward said first member, and means carried by said second shaft engaging said second member to shift said second member toward said first member and to rotate said second member to rotate said first member and said first shaft to position the rotor.

2. A coaxial switch including a rotor, a first shaft con meeting with said rotor, a housing enclosing the free end of said first shaft, a second shaft extending into said housing and axially shiftable therein, a first member carried by said first shaft, a second member carried by said second shaft, means carried by said first and second members for interlocking said first and second members upon axial shifting of said second member toward said first member, means carried by said second shaft engaging said second member to shift said second member toward said first member and to rotate said second member to rotate said first member and said first shaft to position the rotor, and detent means cooperating with said first member for accurately positioning said first shaft in a plurality of preselected positions.

3. An electric switch comprising a housing, a shaft extending into one end of said housing, a first member secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, an outer hollow shaft extending into the opposite end of said housing and telescoping over said first shaft, a second member reciprocally mounted on said outer shaft, spring means surrounding said outer shaft and extending between said first member and said second member to urge said second member away from said first member, interlocking means carried by said first and second members operative upon movement of said second member toward said first member to interlock said first and second members, and means including an inner shaft extending within said outer shaft for engaging said second member for moving said second member toward said first member against said spring and for rotating said second member to rotate said first member and said first mentioned shaft.

4. An electric switch comprising a housing, a shaft extending into one end of said housing, a first member secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, an outer hollow shaft extending into the opposite end of said housing and telescoping over said first shaft, [1 second member reciprocally mounted on said outer shaft, spring means surrounding said outer shaft and extending between said first member and said second member to urge said second member away from said first member, interlocking means carried by said first and second members operative upon movement of said second member toward said first member to interlock said first and second members, means including an inner shaft extending within said outer shaft for engaging said second member for moving said second member toward said first member against said spring and for rotating said second member to rotate said first member and said first mentioned shaft, and detent means cooperating with said first member to accurately position said first mentioned shaft in a pinrality of preselected angular positions.

5. An electric switch comprising a housing, a shaft extending into one end of said housing, a first member secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, an outer hollow shaft extending into the opposite end of said housing and telescoping over said first shaft, a second memoer reciprocally mounted on said outer shaft, spring means surrounding said outer shaft and extending between said first member and said second member to urge said second member away from said first member, interlocking means carried by said first and second members operative upon movement of said second member toward said first member to interlock said first and second members, means including an inner shaft extending Within said outer shaft for engaging said second member for moving said second member toward said first member against said spring for rot: g said second member to rotate said first member and said first mentioned shaft,

, and means carried by said housing engaging said second member to prevent rotation thereof when said second member is in normal spaced relation to said that member to prevent rotation of said second member relative to said first member.

6. A coaxial switch including a switch head, a switch rotor rotatably mounted in said head, a rotor actuating shaft extending from said rotor, a cup housing connected to said head and receiving said rotor shaft therein through the open end of said housira hollow outer shaft rotatably mounted in the closed end of said housing and telescoping over the end of said rotor shaft within said housing, an inner shaft reciprocably mounted within said outer shaft, spring means normally urging said inner shaft away from said rotor shaft, interengaging means carried by said rotor shaft and by said outer shaft for interlocking engagement upon depression of said inner shaft into said housing, said inner shaft thereafter being rotatable to rotate said outer shaft and said rotor shaft to position said switch rotor.

7. An electric switch comprising a cup-shaped housing having an end wall, a cover plate closing the open end of said housing, a shaft extending through said cover plate into said housing, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft and having peripherally spaced radially opening notches about the periphery thereof, detent means cooperating with said notches to center said ratchet wheel at preselected switching positions, a first pin carried by said ratchet wheel and projecting axially therefrom toward the end wall of said cup housing, an outer hollow shaft extending through the end wall of said housing and rotatable therein, said outer shaft having axial slots therein opening into said housing, an inner shaft reciprocally disposed within said outer shaft, a second pin carried by said inner shaft and projecting through said axial slots for limiting movement of said inner shaft within said outer shaft, a lock plate reciprocably mounted on said outer shaft and connected to said second pin for movement by said inner shaft, said lock plate having a hole for receiving said first pin in one position of said inner shaft, spring means between said ratchet wheel and said lock plate urging said lock plate to a second position away from said ratchet wheel, said lock plate having peripherally spaced openings spaced in correspondence to said ratchet wheel notches, and a third pin carried by the end wall of said housing and projecting axially inward to engage in one of said openings when said inner shaft is in said second position, said inner shaft being movable axially inwardly to disengage said third pin and said opening in said lock plate and to engage said lock plate second pin in said ratchet wheel hole to rotate said ratchet wheel.

8. An electric switch including a rotor, a housing carrying said rotor, a first shaft within said housing connecting with said rotor, at second shaft in said housing and axially shiftable therein, a first member connected to said first shaft, a second member connected to said second shaft, means connected to said first and second members for interlocking said first and second members upon axial shifting of said second member toward said first member, and said second shaft being operative to shift said second member toward said first member and being operative to rotate said second member to rotate said first member and said first shaft to position the rotor.

9. An electric switch including a rotor, a housing for said rotor, a first shaft connecting with said rotor, a second shaft extending within said housing and axially shiftable therein, a first member connected to said first shaft, a

second member connected to said second shaft, means connected to said first and second members for interlocking said first and second members upon shifting of said second member toward said first member, said second shaft being operative to shift said second member toward said first member and to rotate said second member to rotate said first member and said first shaft to position the rotor, and detent means cooperating with said first member for accurately positioning said first shaft in a plurality of pro-selected positions.

10. An electric switch including a rotor, a housing, a shaft in said housing and connecting with said rotor, a first clutch means connected to said shaft, a second clutch means mounted in said housing for axial shifting from a disengaged position to an engaged position in driving relation to said first clutch means, operating means extending into said housing and connected to said second clutch means for axially shifting said second clutch means into engaged position with said first clutch means and for rotating said first clutch means to position said rotor, and detent means connected to said housing and to said shaft for accurately positioning said shaft in a plurality of preselected positions, said detent means acting to maintain the rotor in a selected position upon disengagement of said clutch means.

11. An electric switch including a housing, a rotor carried by said housing, a shaft extending in said housing and connecting with said rotor, a first clutch member connected to said shaft, a second clutch member axially shift able from a disengaged position to an engaged position in driving relation to said first clutch member, operating means connected with said second clutch member for shifting the same into engaged relation to said first clutch member and for rotating said second clutch member to position said rotor, detent means connected to said housing and to said shaft for accurately positioning said shaft in a plurality of preselected positions, and locking means connected to said housing and to said second clutch member for interengagement in disengaged position of said second clutch member and defining a plurality of locked positions of said second clutch member angularly corresponding to the preselected positions of the shaft for maintaining said second clutch member in angular rela tion to said first clutch member to accommodate engagement of said clutch members upon axial shifting of said second clutch member toward said first clutch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,704,433 Harris Mar. 5, 1929 1,973,630 Johnson Sept. 11, 1934 2,452,916 Fleischmann Nov. 2, 1943 2,509,928 Klein May 30, 1950 2,512,880 Russell June 27, 1950 2,545,837 Berthiez Mar. 20, 1951 2,565,643 Baddour Aug. 28, 1951 2,576,836 Hilsinger Nov. 27, 1951 2,602,898 Inghram et a1 July 8, 1952 2,603,725 Dietrich July 15, 1952 

